


The Mafia Play

by violetlolitapop



Series: Perestroika [3]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: M/M, Modern AU, or at least however modern the 80's and 90's are, or early 90's, this takes place in the late 80's
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-08
Updated: 2015-09-08
Packaged: 2018-04-19 16:34:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4753307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/violetlolitapop/pseuds/violetlolitapop
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alfred only slides in next to Ivan. His hair is tinted with an orange glow from the single candle in the center of the table and it causes shadows to dance across his face and accent those sharp features Ivan grew up admiring. He still does in a way, but he isn’t sure if the beauty Alfred now carries is charming or dangerous.</p>
<p>Perhaps it’s both. He doesn’t know.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Mafia Play

The doors are held wide open as person after person is led out of the building in handcuffs and into black patrol cars. The exterior of the restaurant is the same as it’s always been – bright white letters promising good deals, windows kept spotlessly clean, red checkered table clothes visible through them. Though the crates upon crates that police officers continue to bring out and pile high on the sidewalk are most likely not the fresh ingredients Mr Vargas boasted about.

“Whaddya think they did?”

“Something stupid. That’s what my old man says.”

“My papa says that no one that works there is a bad man and we shouldn’t look down on them.”

“All my father says is that if I don’t obey him I will end up like those men in there.”

That certainly ruins the atmosphere. It causes both boys to look at their friend with wide eyes and a question on their lips.

“That can’t happen!” says one. “I don’t care what Mattie’s papa says, those are bad guys and you’re not a bad guy, Ivan!”

“I believe my papa, don’t listen to Alfred,” says Matthew. “But Ivan, your father is wrong you won’t end up like that.”

“Really?” Ivan’s voice is small but there’s a hope in his tone as he looks to both of his best friends.

“Yeah!” Alfred tells him and there’s a fire in his eyes. “Your old man is just an ol’ stick in the mud. Don’t pay no attention to him.”

“He can’t do that, Alfred,” says Matthew. “He’s still his father.”

“Ah baloney!”

Ivan laughs and it has both boys look back to him and smile.

“Don’t worry,” Matthew says. “I don’t know what’s happening over there, but you’re not gonna be like those men, Ivan. Alfred and I won’t let that happen.”

“Cos we’re the three musketeers,” Alfred cheers. “One for all!”

“And all for one,” the other two chime in.

“Yeah, now c’mon, I got a dollar in my pocket and we should go get some sundaes.”

“Where did you get a dollar?” Matthew asks.

“Can I have a float instead?” Ivan asks at the same time.

Alfred just taps his nose at Matthew. “My little secret, Mattie.”

“You filched it from your dad’s wallet, didn’t you?”

Alfred doesn’t answer him. He just laughs loudly and leads the other two down to the drugstore for some ice cream. Ivan follows them, of course, but he does look back on the scene just as two young boys that may just be a year or two older than him and his friends being ushered out of the restaurant and given to an older woman dressed plainly. He catches the eye of one – a scrawny looking 12 year old with bright green eyes, looking scared but with a frown etched deep on his face.

Ivan doesn’t know why it leaves him uneasy, but instead of trying to figure out why he runs to catch up to Alfred and Matthew. Eventually he doesn’t think about it anymore. He forgets it and he forgets it for years.

It seems like an odd thing to remember, some thirty years later, while he’s waiting for his old childhood friend to join him here in this club that once belonged to him.

Though perhaps not, as he thinks back to before that moment, to the promise that was made.

_One for all, and all for one._

They were just children. They could not have known…

He sits in the very back corner, in a booth that is still kept empty for him even though he personally does not use it as often as he once did. The lights begin to dim and the first act is announced, and still his gracious host has not arrived.

It has Ivan wondering if this will just be another example of how far that friendship has fallen. The boy he once knew certainly was capable of being terrible, and he has only proven how _that_ part of him has grown over time.

Ivan sighs. If only Matthew were here….

“Hope you weren’t waiting for too long.”

The familiar drawl is loud and uncaring for disturbing the performance. Naturally no one say anything about this, all things considering, but Ivan can’t help but feel the small swell of pride in knowing _he_ never did anything so despicable. Still, Ivan has the manners to fix a semi-cold glare at Alfred for the slight towards the House.

Not that it seems to bother him any, he certainly doesn’t show that he’s been reprimanded. Alfred only slides in next to Ivan. His hair is tinted with an orange glow from the single candle in the center of the table and it causes shadows to dance across his face and accent those sharp features Ivan grew up admiring. He still does in a way, but he isn’t sure if the beauty Alfred now carries is charming or dangerous.

Perhaps it’s both. He doesn’t know. His heart clenches too tightly when he thinks about it too long.

“What? Not even gonna ask me why I’m so late or how my day went? Bad manners, Ivan.”

“I’m sure you have been very busy with work,” says Ivan and he stresses the last word, enunciates it perfectly and all.

“Well someone’s gotta pick up the slack,” Alfred jabs. He throws Ivan a wink and an easy smile. “Y’know?”

He wants to punch him.

“You called me here for a reason,” Ivan says instead. “What did you want?”

“Straight to business like always.” Alfred reclines slightly in his seat with a heavy enough sigh. “We used to have fun, right? Aren’t we friends?”

Ivan does not answer him. He only gives him a steady stare that has Alfred sigh and straighten up once more. It seems like he’s done fooling around.

“There’s been some talk going around about your family, Ivan. That doesn’t bode too well for business, y’know. Just wonderin’ if everything’s all right.”

“We’re working on things.”

It’s Alfred’s turn to stare. “Workin’ on things.”

Ivan bites down on his tongue. The way Alfred makes it sound it’s as if he doesn’t wholly believe him when he says that actual work is being done to help maintain the status quo of his family and his profits. Considering the drop in his revenue though and the not so subtle way Toris and Feliks left their positions, it’s not too surprising. It does not keep him from wanting to throttle Alfred where he sits though. Not by a long shot.

“We are having… minor difficulties,” he admits. “It’s not so easy to move things around with a lack of personal territory.”

“Now that ain’t true,” Alfred tells him with his salesman smile. “You and your family are free to go anywhere you like to conduct business. C’mon, Ivan, that was the whole point of our truce. To help each other out. It’s what Mattie would’ve wanted.”

Ivan clenches his fists in his lap.

“We don’t know,” he says evenly, “what Matthew would have wanted. Dead men can’t talk.”

His words punctuate and most definitely hit a nerve. Whatever kind of atmosphere that had been between the two turns icy. Alfred’s smile hardens and there is no sign of the amusement he usually exudes left in his eyes.

“Well, that is a shame, that,” he says and turns his attention back to the show.

He eyes the girl on stage doing her dance. Ivan knows her; Natalya has always had her heart set on working directly below him despite the dangers of his chosen path, but with her age he still feels as if she is still too young to have that kind of life. Before he would have gladly awaited the day he could cast her into his ranks, she has definitely shown promise, but now…. Now he just doesn’t know.

“I know that gal,” Alfred says, interrupting his thoughts. “She talks an awful lot about ya.”

“I’m not surprised.”

“Really now? Didn’t take you for a cradle-robber.”

“Our relationship is not like that.”

“Really?”

The doubt in his tone does not settle well with Ivan. He catches Alfred’s eye and steadily says, “You of all people should have enough proof for that.”

That certainly has Alfred’s smile drop. Ivan doesn’t know what to make of that either. Does he regret that night they spent together? Oh so long ago when they were still friends and had a happy plan for their future together?

If Matthew were still here maybe that would still be happening, maybe they would still be happy. Everything seemed to fall apart with him gone.

“Get your family together,” Alfred tells him. The niceties and teasing is now cut to a brutal end. “You’re falling apart and at this rate there won’t be anything left of you.”

“It’s so much easier said than done,” Ivan replies. “Money does not come easy to us anymore. Our revenue has dropped with this truce _you_ drew up and the value of our properties hasn’t increased as _you_ promised. It would see that the one to benefit from this joint project, you are the one that benefits.”

He doesn’t mean to hiss the last part of it, but Ivan is too riled up for it to come out as anything else. Not that it shakes Alfred any. He looks at Ivan like a hunter with his rifled aimed at his prey, slick smile now growing over his face and making him ugly. Ivan has to turn away.

“Maybe it’s just a commie thing,” says Alfred. “You lot have your glory days until it finally just all comes crashing down.”

“You used to beat up the ones that would call me that growing up,” Ivan scoffs. “How quick we are to forget things, huh?”

“We all did things,” Alfred says and scoots out from the booth. “Don’t mean we still do. Enjoy the rest of the show Ivan, who knows how long this place’ll stay open. It doesn’t exactly do much for me, and I got big ideas, ya know.”

Alfred leaves then. He doesn’t look back. With Ivan watching his retreating form leave the main floor, not once does he look back.

There was never any threat of him closing this place before. Yet he doesn’t even need to ask why. Alfred has always been much like a child. It’s a threat of a tantrum, but he doesn’t doubt for a second that the other will follow through with it.

He raises his hand for a passing waitress to bring him a drink and when she leaves to retrieve it, he needs to start thinking.

How does he save this club? How does he keep these people from ending out on the street? This may not be his property and it may not be his responsibility but these are people that still respect him and expect him to help in some way or another. He needs to figure out how to do that.

He also needs to figure out how to save himself.

**Author's Note:**

> -this would be a cool verse to expand


End file.
